Electrothermogenic device for humidifiers



D. H. YOUNG.

ELECTROTHERMOGENIC DEVICE FOR HUMIDIFIERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1919.

1 ,328,069, Patented J an. 13, 1920.

Inventor; flanz'eZ J-/. Young, 5g.

Attorney.

DANIEL H. YOUNG, OF MANCHESTER, IOlVA.

ELECTROTHERMOGENIC DEVICE FOR HUMIDIFIERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

Application filed May 22, 1919. Serial No. 298,987.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL H. YOUNG, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Manchester, Delaware county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrothermo genie Devices for Humidifiers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electro-thermogenic devices for humidifiers, and the object of my improvement is to incorporate with the boiler of a humidifier an electric-heating means comprising electrodes of a special character and having related forms such as conduce in operation to rapid vaporization, and adjustable to secure desired action of the electrodes as immersed in the boiler.

This object I have accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical central section of my improved humidifier and the conical electrodes therein. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of a modified form of humidifier with a slightly modified set of electrodes therein, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of one of the electrodes shown in said Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several Views.

Referring first to said Fig. 1, the numeral 12 denotes an open top boiler formed of electrically conductive material, supplied with a removable closure 10, the upper part of the boiler having an exterior thread 11 of wide pitch fitting a mating channel in the inner wall of the cylindrical closure 10. Said boiler is supplied with water by means of a horizontal tube 21 communicating between its bottom part and the bottom part of the open top receptacle 22, both said boiler and receptacle being supported upon a base 20. A supply of water is maintained in the receptacle 2 from an inverted container or jar 23 whose neck is fitted in the open top of the receptacle 22 so that the water level in the boiler is kept constant.

A funnel 13 has its smaller end passed through the upper part of the boiler 12 to deliver steam laterally. The cover 10 has orifices to receive removable plugs 8 and 9 of insulation, said plugs being centrally vertically orificed to receive therethrough fixedly mounted rods 6 and 15 respectively, whose upper ends are electrically connected to the conductor terminals 17 and 16 of a source of electric current 19, the conductor 17 containing a make-and-break device 18. Secured to the lower end of said rod 15 is a semi-circular resilient conducting terminal 1 1 which, when the closure 10 is mounted on said boiler, is in close contact with the inner wall of the boiler.

The lower end of the other rod 6 extends centrally and downwardly through the boiler, and a cylindrical upwardly coned block of insulation 7 is fixed upon its extremity to ordinarily rest upon the bottom of the boiler.

Upon said coned block 7 is mounted a duplex electrode formed of two like inverted hollow coaxial spaced truncated cones or frusta each having a plurality of evenly distributed small orifices 4. These frusta 1 and 3 are fixedly connected by spaced marginal clips 5 secured to both to hold them in spaced relation. The truncated end of the frustum 3 is supported upon said conical plug 7 to insulate it from the rod 6. The other frustum 1 is supported in the manner described, with the rod passing upwardly through the apical hollow but not touching it.

The numeral 2 denotes a hollow imperforate cone of the same angularity as the frusta 1 and 3 but of slightly less diameter at the wider end, and having its apical end fixedly traversed by and electrically contacting with the rod 6 to hold it between and in spaced parallel relation to said frusta 1 and 3. The clips 5 movably contact with the inner wall of the boiler 12.

On the closing of the electrical circuit, the frustal terminals 1 and 3 are electrified by the contacts of the clips 5 and the semicircular body ld with the inner wall of said boiler, and the conical terminal 2 receives its electrification by way of the rod 6 on which it is mounted. As all said conical terminals are closely spaced and a relatively large amount of current delivering and re ceiving surfaces are opposed as immersed in the water in said boiler, the water is quickl heated to the boiling point for the rapid and continuous generation of steam. Owing to the wide threaded connection 11 of the closure 10, the latter may be turned quickly to adjust the positions of the electrodes vertically within the boiler. The water level in the boiler being ordinarily at the level shown in Fig. 1, before closing the circuit, the electrodes are elevated by the means described so that the electrode parts l, 2 and 8 are but little, if at all, submerged. The circuit is then closed and the said electrodes lowered into the water until submerged. As the electrodes have their apices first submerged, there is less reaction at the moment of closing the circuit than if they were completely immersed in water, and this prevents blowing out of any fuses which may be included in the circuit. The electrodes may be more or less submerged to produce greater or less intensity of action 111 the production of steam, the latter being delivered through the funnel 13. The orifices 4 in the cones 1 and 3 permit ready access of water to the in terspaces of the electrodes.

' In Fig. 2, the invention is shown as adapted for use in an ordinary glass jar 12 having the widely threaded screw-cap 10. Conducting rods 6 and 15 are similarly carried downwardly into the jar through insulation plugs 8 and 9 fitted'in said cover, the cover having an opening 24 for the exit of steam.

. The lower end of the rod 6 is threaded and passed through a central threaded opening in the cylindrical conducting body 29 whose upper part is conically expanded into a number of spaced fingers 27. A centrally orificed plug 28 of insulation is mounted on the rod 6 fitting the cylindrical body 29 and extending upwardly therefrom, and a truncated hollow conducting cone 25 is superposed coaxially on said plug and electrically fixedly mounted on the lower end of the other conducting rod 15, in spaced relation to said fingers 27. A hollow, closed cone 26 is fixedly mounted on said rod 6 just above the plug 28and spaced coaxially from the inner cone 25. \Vhen a circuit is closed through the rods 6 and 15, a heating and electrolytic connection is produced between said conical electrodes upon the watertherebetween. The separating of the lower conical electrode into spaced fingers 27 enhances the said eiiects upon the water and equalizes the same. These electrodes may be adjustably elevated and lowered in the same manner and for the same purposes previously mentioned.

Having'described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a boiler formed of electrically-conductive material, of a conductor mounted within said boiler, and in movable contact therewith, another conductor mounted within said boiler insulated therefrom and carrying a hollow conical electrode, and a pair of hollow conical electrode-members positioned and spaced from opposite inner and outer walls of the firstinentioned electrode concentrically, supported on and insulated from the second-mentioned conductor and in movable contact with the inner wall or said boiler.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a boiler, of electrodes mounted therein, one electrode comprising a pair of concentric conical hollow bodies connected electrically, and the other electrode being a conical hollow body mounted between the'said pair, spaced therefrom corcentrically and insulated therefrom.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a boiler, of electrodes mounted therein, one electrode comprising a pair of concentric conical hollow bodies connected electrically, one of said bodies being divided into a number of arms, and the other electrode being a conical hollow body mounted between the said pair, spaced therefrom and insulated therefrom.

4. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a boiler, of electrodes mounted therein, comprising hollow bodies insulated and spaced from each other, of which one is formed with a plurality of spaced arms. 7

5. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a boiler, of electrodes therein, comprising hollow bodies one body having branching members in juxtaposition to, but spaced apart from the other body. T

6. In a device of the character described, a boiler, and electrodes therein, comprising concentric V spaced hollow bodies, removably supported in insulated relation, of which cer-' tain are provided with passages for trans mission of aliquid therethrough.

Signed at Waterloo, Iowa, this 5th day of May, 1919.

V DANIEL H. YOUNG. 

